The illustrious list of winners of the title of 3-cushion billiards world champion has been enriched by a completely new name. Phuong Vinh Bao, until recently a totally unknown billiard player from Vietnam, grabbed the 2023 world three cushion billiard title at the tournament held in Ankara, Turkey.
In a demonstration of skill and class, Tayfun Tasdemir has won the 2022 UMB 3-cushion world title. In Donghae City, South-Korea, he defeated Ruben Legazpi in a one-sided final: 50-14 in 15/14 innings. For Turkiye, it had been a nineteen-year wait since Semih Sayginer was world champion in 2003.
Pedro Piedrabuena defeated long-time rival and former champion Miguel Torres to win his 11th USBA 3-Cushion National Championship title.
His play throughout the event was nearly perfect and included an incredible come-from-behind victory against Kang Lee in the penultimate Semi-final round.
Myung-Woo Cho captured the 2016 World 3-Cushion Junior Championship held in Hurghada, Egypt December 8-10. At age 18 his promise of a long and successful career is first being realized. Cho demonstrated his ability earlier in the year by reaching the semi-finals of the UMB World Cup in Guri, Korea where he only lost to eventual winner Jeremy Bury of France. Here is a wonderful profile of this great young Korean billiard player from Korean news site The Dong-A Ilbo.
In France, Korea’s Kim Haeng-jik fell just short of a world championship
Even though he just missed in the finals of the 2016 UMB World Championship, Haeng-Jik Kim (or Kim Haeng-Jik as is preferred in the Asian press) is still recognized as the leading player from Korea. Here is a wonderful article that appeared in the online news site Korea JoongAng Daily about his life and his future in billiards.
The sport of carom billiards is a relative newcomer to Houston, Texas. A decidedly pocket billiards / pool-player's town since the 1940’s, the city was famous for rooms such as Big Tyme Billiards, Legends Billiards, and Bogey’s Billiards. When I moved to Houston in 1979 I played pool at LeCue Billiards and later at The Cushion & Cue - both long since shuttered. But beginning with the turn of the millennium the carom games have arrived or - depending on whom you ask - have been re-discovered. Carom billiards rooms seem to be sprouting up like mushrooms, leading to a resurgence of interest in the sport here in Houston.